Photo www.iwm.org.uk
Commissioned 1941
Displacement 9,000 tons
Length 465 ft
Beam 69,5 ft
Draught 26,33 ft
Propulsion: 4 Busch-Sulzer diesels (7-cylinder); 1 shaft; 8,500 bhp
Speed: 16 kts
Range: 14,550 nautical miles @ 10 knots
Armament: Gun 3 x 1 x 4"L/50 AA 4 x 2 x 20mm Oerlikon AA 7 x 1 x 20mm Oerlikon AA
Aircraft: 15
Complement: 555
Aviation facilities: 1 elevator; 1 hydraulic catapult (H 2); 9 arresting wires and 3 barriers.
Fate: Sold into mercantile service 1946, she was scrapped 1962.
HMS Archer was sent to the south Atlantic from February to June 1942 to provide air cover off Freetown West Africa.
Launched as MORMACLAND for US freighter operator Moore McCormack lines, she was purchased by US Navy to be converted into a BAVG (British Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier). In her career HMS Archer deployed the first aircraft at Ascension Island when the rocked carved runway was ready for operations.
One Swordfish was involved in search for survivors of the British Merchant Lylepark which was sunk by the German raider Michel on 11/Jun/42 on pos. 14º 00"S 10º 00"W.. The master eventually was separated from his First Officer in another lifeboat and was rescued by the Carrier.
In June 20 1942, the survivors of the Dutch Merchant Alioth sunk by the Italian submarine Da Vinci on pos 00º 08N 18º 52’W were spotted by the Carrier’s lookouts having the lifeboats in number of two been towed to Freetown.